


i cried for the first time ( and you weren’t around to see )

by necrolus



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff? Sometimes, Lack is a bitch but he’ll get over it, Tags to be added, bri rewrites lack and whi’s dynamic bc bw2 was unsatisfying, mix of speverse and gameverse, no beta we die like men, they’re aged up, they’re in galar bros, title may change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21841990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/necrolus/pseuds/necrolus
Summary: “I cried for the first time a few months ago”Whi jerked her head around to stare at him, clear confusion etched on her face. “What?” Lack had said it so calmly that she couldn’t be sure he was just joking.“I’m not repeating myself,” Lack gave her a very matter-of-fact look. “I was sitting alone in a hotel I was staying at back home and it just happened.” He spoke as if it been nothing out of the ordinary but she figured that he was just putting up a front.“That’s unfortunate...? Do you not know why you started crying?”, Whi tilted her head a little, offering what sympathy she could even if he probably didn’t need it. Lack however just furrowed his brows, eyes scanning the perimeter of the room as if there was someone he couldn’t see that awaited his answer.“No, I don’t.”
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	i cried for the first time ( and you weren’t around to see )

**Author's Note:**

> bri here! this is a fun fic i’m writing to hopefully develop lack and whi’s character and relationships. i’ve never written a multi-chapter fic before so here’s to the first! italics is flashback just so you know!

There was nothing quite like the disappointment of an unresolved case and a mostly empty board of clues.

No, Lack didn’t engage in detective work anymore. The International Police had been final on their decision to fire him and that was that. A new position had been thrown at his feet, some desperate people in need of help were willing to pay him a hefty price to ensure justice would be brought to those who escape the police’s radar.

His current task had brought him all the way to Galar and unfortunately, lacking members of his team due to the strict Galarian laws. There had been whispers of some abuse of the “Dynamax” transformation that was special to the region. People were concerned that a few elite were using the power in a damaging way and it was enough to convince his bosses to send him off to investigate.

Unsurprisingly, chasing a case based on a few rumors was not an easy task. He'd searched through dens, vigorously questioned the professor on wishing pieces and even charmed a few of the local girls into telling him what they knew about. None of it had been very helpful except people pointing him towards a man named Chairman Rose. A man he currently had no access and connections to.

At least it wasn’t all doom and gloom, the sites in Galar were pretty and his higher-ups had paid for a very lavish hotel for him to stay in. It was obviously intended for the filthy rich to spend their time in, probably a select few gym challengers as well. The suite was large and empty, how he’d always imagined his house would be like.

That didn’t change however that he had three months left to solve the case before he’d be paid half the original deal and marked down on the list of trustworthy candidates for their jobs. He’d never failed before, finishing everything they sat on his plate quickly and with little trouble. But, to be fair, they’d never given him such little to work off of.

That’s what had led him to do what he’d done a few days ago. Call in a little reinforcement. Perhaps someone by his side could open more doors to this case. He’d even been replaying the call in his head for a while, knowing his guest would be arriving in Galar later today. It was a clear memory in his mind.

_He was stretched out across the couch, flipping through television shows, checking to see if an interview with Chairman Rose was on when his phone buzzed violently on the table. When he reached out for it, he glanced at the name of the person who’d been desperate enough to text him._

_Hugh._

_Lack wasn’t surprised, he never was. Hugh was one of the few people from his childhood he still kept in decent contact with. They never met up or called for hours on end but Lack made sure to respond to any message he sent his way. This one, however, was at least interesting, once he deciphered the spelling errors that were present. It was clear as day then and mentioned a person that hadn’t crossed his mind for a long while._

_The message read, “saw whi today, got her number.”_

_He rolled over to his side to better type out his response, thinking carefully. He’d never been close to Whi, he’d spent so long attempting to arrest her and then helping save the world with her. There was much he’d known about her at the time but they’d never formed any real kind of connection after his true identity became clear to her. Not that he cared much, she’d finished being his focus when he got fired._

_Typing, he wrote out a simple “Okay” and paused right before he sent the text. Whi was a fellow dexholder, she’d had experience with dangerous matters before and she wasn’t busy with jobs like his other seniors. She wasn’t the most ideal choice but Whi was something, something he could consider. He needed a bit of reinforcement on his case and it’d certainly be easier to convince his boss to let Whi in on the case than someone who didn’t have the background of being both a dexholder and a “hero” who helped with saving Unova. They’d probably agree it would be a wise choice. Even if she turned out to not be helpful in the case department, he could at least use her stand guard or pretend to be something to help further his image while out in public._

_Thinking himself clever, he finished his message with, “Send me her number if you can.” and hit send._

_Barely a minute had passed before his phone buzzed again, Hugh having quickly sent over Whi’s number and a text that read, “k but dont tell her i was the one who sent it.” With a “thank you“ to Hugh, he saved Whi’s number in his contacts and made no hesitation to call her._

_The voice that picked up the phone was just as meek as he remembered it, nothing had changed. The girl on the other end sounded no different saying “Hello” than she had when they were kids._

_Lack cleared his throat softly, reaffirming his plan in his head and speaking in the most charming voice he could muster. “Whi! It’s Lack. How are you?” There was a faint gasp he heard_ _coming from her end and what sounded like someone fumbling with dishes. It appears he’d caught her off guard._

_There was a long silent pause before she finally spoke up, “How... How did you get my number?”. Oh, Lack could hear the trembling and panic in her voice. He couldn’t rationalize in his own head what could be causing her to distress over him so much. There was nothing he’d done to her. They hadn’t talked for years but she still spoke to him as if he’d slap a pair of handcuffs and pull her away at any moment._

_“Oh, Black gave it to me. Said we Dexholders should keep in touch.” He’d played this persona so well in public that it naturally transferred into his calls as well, the fake grin on his face. The sweetness laced in his voice; he knew she’d see through it immediately but he still bothered to continue with it. “We should really catch up. I miss you so-“_

_“Stop it.” Her voice rang clearly through the speaker as she cut him off. “I hate it when you do that, don’t pretend you really care like that. I know you.”_

_A neutral expression found it’s the way to Lack’s face as he rolled over again. So she was still mad. That cleared that up and now he could formulate a different way of persuasion to entice her to come to stay in Galar with him. It was, after all, a beautiful place. Could she really resist a free ride to a new region?_

_This would’ve have been much easier in person but it would have to do. “Fine, Whi. I do need your help, though.” There was another pause on the line before he heard her say a faint “With what?”. She hadn’t hung up then, that was a good sign. He decided to lean in closer to the speaker when saying his next words, “A case. Not for the International Police but for someone else.”, He let his last word hang in the air before continuing, “Many Pokémon could be in trouble. Many. People too.”_

_He heard her intake of breath, awaiting her response as he drummed his fingers against his coffee table. She was quick this time though, “Lack. I don’t. I don’t think I should get involved.” There was a sharp sigh for Lack, he’d have to lay it on thick._

_A part of him couldn’t understand the hesitation people took when knowing something wrong was going on. He never hesitated, he couldn’t imagine doing it. If you had to act fast and smartly, there was no time for hesitation. The fear and anxiety that others had bubbling up in the moments before, he felt none of it. Hadn’t felt it ever._

_“Is that so? You’re a dexholder, these problems need our help. All our seniors are too busy to help with this but you could.” He spoke calmly and softly, he’d wait until they were in-person to return to being nonchalant and blunt. Behavior like that wouldn’t persuade her to come over, although she did claim to see through it._

_Her hesitation, her trembling. He could sense it even when her voice wavered a little. It was all obvious to him. ”But, what is the problem?”_

_Lack didn't waste time going over it, explaining in detail the issue with Dynamax and how his case was leading up to a dead end. How he could use an extra set of hands to help get this done in time before he lost another job. That’d he’d be even willing to split the money with her if she wanted._

_Her response, however, took a while. The silence filling his ears as he waited for a definite answer from her. Preferably one that suited his taste. If she did say no, he supposed he could convince Hugh to come over instead. That could work but he wasn’t certain Hugh could pull off the disguise and secrecy of a mission like this one. He was a bit of a hot-head after all._

_“Lack... I’ll... I’ll do it. I’ll try. But, you have to promise me that this isn’t just some trick so you can turn me in.”_

_Were he any other person, he might’ve laughed or even taken offense at that. That after years and heroism together, he’d still throw her out to the wolves just for his justice and the completion of a mission. He actually thought it quite dumb to ask such a request but if it would make her come over, he’d humor it._

_“I promise.”_

To him, it had been as easy as that to get her on board. Once she hung up, he messaged her all the information she’d need. Her plane, what city he was in and what she’d need to bring.

Convincing his boss to let her come had been even easier, the title ‘dexholder’ held some merit after all and they even seemed to think that it would be nice to put another experienced person on the case. Especially since they wouldn’t be paying any more than they had originally offered for just him.

The filthy rich just had money to spend he supposed, her hotel room and the plane were quickly paid for and that was the end of that. Now he just had to wait for her arrival.

Checking the clock on his phone, he figured he’d have an hour before her plane lands so he might as well just leave already and walk around town for a while.

Rolling his jacket onto his shoulders and grabbing the sunglasses he’d chosen to wear while at Galar due to the bodyguard positions he’d been filling in for when his time was free.

He made certain to hang the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door as he made his way out his room. The hallway outside was just as nice as everything else, carpet lined floors, decorative lights hanging above and many possibly expensive paintings lining the wall. There were even a few guests mingling in the halls, mostly some older rich folk talking among themselves and a few noisy kids running about unsupervised.

He slipped into the elevator among other nameless people calmly and when he stepped out into the lobby, he took a deep breath and continued on his way.

—

Whi, on the other hand, was just stepping off of her plane, looking around her new surroundings cautiously. She was in a new region by herself and to make matters worse, she wasn’t allowed to bring Foongy with her. This would be one of the few times she’d be without him and her anxiety was rising every second she thought about it.

Shuffling around the airport, she made haste to grab her luggage, trying her hardest to avoid bumping into people. She was almost certain she’d die on the spot if got pointed out as the stereotypical “rude Unovian tourist”.

Rolling her bag behind her, she searched for the exit. Lack had promised to meet her outside when she got off and they’d walk to the hotel together. Honestly, she couldn’t believe she even actually agreed to come on the trip. She didn’t like him very much if she was being the truth, everything about him continued to intimidate her whenever she thought about his presence in her childhood.

They hadn’t even conversed much since he left Unova to pursue his job. Everything really had mellowed out after that and her seniors were now busy with their business and dreams. White had even told her ‘Good riddance’ when they talked about Lack leaving all of them.

Maybe it should’ve been good riddance. She could feel her nervousness bubbling inside her. Maybe she should’ve refused his offer, he probably hadn’t even changed since the last time she saw him. The same faker, the same loose charmer who couldn’t display the fears and humanity of everyone else.

But, she had to give him another chance. She had to. When he explained the problem he was having with his case, she immediately began to worry about what could happen to all the people and Pokémon of Galar. If something bad did happen, could she really live with herself knowing she did nothing to help? Lor- N would’ve most certainly been disappointed with her if that became the case.

So pushing her fears down inside of her, she pulled open the door to the airport and stepped outside. For the first time, being in another region.

But, there was no sign of Lack. Panicking, she jerked her head around to look for anyone that looked like him. Arceus, she probably should’ve asked for a picture of him before she got off. What if he had shaved all his hair and had tattoos covering his face? She’d never be able to recognize him. Pulling out her phone, she went directly to his number, about to call him before she jumped, feeling a hand on her shoulder. Whi quickly turned her head around to face whatever or whoever had touched her.

It was Lack.

He looked different but still the same somehow. His hair had become more tamed than she remembered and she could see he had a noticeable undercut in the back. Although, he wasn't as tall as she expected him to grow to be. He looked go he just around Black’s height now but that really caught her eye was his sunglasses. She’d never seen him wear a pair before and honestly never really thought about if he would. They even covered his face and made his normally unreadable expression harder to decipher.

While unable to see his eyes, she could practically sense him leering down at her and she hastily nudged his hand off her shoulder. ”Hey..”, Her voice felt so timid to her own ears, like the was but a small child in a large world facing some terrifying thing.

”Hm.” That was all Lack said as he moved his shades up to sit on his head. Finally, Whi could see his face clearly but unfortunately, she could see his judgmental stare as he looked over her from head to toe. “Let’s get going”, Was all he bothered to say after that.

So he hadn’t changed much after all. He certainly seemed more chatty on the phone but now he had reverted to speaking as if didn’t care and didn’t want to be around her. 

She just nodded in response and began trailing behind him, trying to keep up with his brisk walking pace. Galar was at least a beautiful place to look at, the architecture and designs were so much different than her home region that she couldn’t help but look in awe at it. Everything managed to look both vintage and clean; not to mention the greenery that seemed to be around every corner. It was both comforting and a little intimidating.

On their way to what she knew to be their hotel, Lack didn’t say much so she didn’t even try to talk to him, just keeping her thoughts to herself. It was awkward, to say the least, and she even caught a few girls that they’d walk by, staring at him and some even waved and batted their eyelashes. Of course, he’d done the same things to girls here as he’d done back home, he thought himself quite the charmer. But, she couldn’t really understand what they saw in him anymore.

She took her time admiring the sites, even snapping a few pictures for later whenever she could. N might enjoy these beautiful sites or Hugh if he bothered to open her messages. Maybe she’d send some to White when she knew she was off work but she hoped she wouldn’t be interrupting her time with her husband.

“We’re here.” Lack’s voice snapped her out admiring the pictures and she looked up to see the hotel. It almost took her breath away. The place was absolutely lovely and she could see the effort put into all the little details, it was luxurious and most certainly something that would’ve been way out of her budget. What kind of people was hiring Lack if they could afford something like this? Actually... maybe, she didn’t want to know.

Whi found herself smiling a little as she turned to face Lack, “It’s really pretty.” He did nothing but shrug in response though and pushed his way through the doors, beckoning her to follow him inside. 

The place was even more lovely on the inside, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, decorate statues and paintings places throughout. There was gold practically lining anything and it glistened like nothing she’d ever seen before. It was like some kind of palace.

If Lack was judging her for taking her time looking around, he didn’t voice it as he spoke, “Wait here. I’ll get you checked in.” And, with that, he was off to see the girl at the counter.

Whi could do nothing but stand there awkwardly, glancing around the lobby with her luggage in hand. There were people, mostly elders coming in and out and even though they smiled at her as they passed, she couldn’t help but feel they were judging her for looking so out of place here.

At least Lack was quick, returning to her side in only minutes and dropping a key into her hand. “Your room is right next to mine, I’ll take you to the floor.”

And, with that. Once more Whi was left to trail behind him awkwardly, thankful that the elevator was empty when they go to it. She watched him press the button for floor 10 and they were off. Silently. She could make an effort to talk to him, she really could but she wasn't sure if she actually wanted to do that. Lack never seemed like much of a small talker anyway. 

”They’re not connected in any way”, She almost jumped when he spoke out of the blue but instead just gave him a quizzical look. He sighed, “Our rooms. They aren’t connected if you worried about that. It’s just next to mine to make it easier for us.” Her mouth formed a little “o” shape and she nodded, “Alright. Thank you for telling me.” 

And, with that. They were thrust into silence once more until the elevator doors slid open to reveal the hallway of the 10th floor.

Lack made quick haste to escape the elevator and Whi trailed frantically behind him. Trying to at least get a little glimpse of her surroundings before they arrived at their rooms.

The hallways were a bit emptier than the lobby but still wonderfully well lit, the lights illuminating every part of the walls, putting the decor into full view.

It seemed Lack wasn’t one to care for things such as decor because he continued looking straight ahead until he stopped at a pair of rooms next to each other, giving Whi a look that confirmed that this was their stop.

Refusing to meet his eyes, she pulled the key out of her pocket and fumbled with it until she managed to get it into the hole, turn it and hear the click of the door being unlocked. “Ah, good.” She murmured to herself, happy she didn’t make a fool of herself trying to open the door.

She pushed open the door and peered inside for a moment before turning back to look at Lack who was just... standing there. They made brief awkward eye contact as neither said a word. 

Certainly, she’d regret this and most certainly she’d bang her head against the wall for doing it later tonight but she couldn’t continue with the awkwardness between them for much longer. So, taking a deep breath, she asked, “Do you want to come inside for a moment?”

She might’ve asked but a part of her was still hoping he’d outright refuse and they could go their separate ways now but to her surprise, Lack nodded and then before she knew it, they were both in the hotel room sitting on the couch together, her luggage leaning neatly against the end table.

Of course, she had tried to stop the awkward tension and then put them back into a more awkward situation where they were now sitting alone together in her room. This could not get much worse.

“Uh... Thank you for coming to get me. I really appreciate it.”, She gave him her best smile but all he did was a nod in return. Right. Lack didn’t engage in small talk, he was perfectly okay sitting in silence with a person for hours on end. He might even prefer it if she thought about it.

But, then he spoke and it surprised her.

“I cried for the first time a few months ago”

Whi jerked her head around to stare at him, clear confusion etched on her face. “What?” Lack had said it so calmly that she couldn’t be sure he was just joking. He didn’t seem like the type to joke though.

“I’m not repeating myself,” Lack gave her a very matter-of-fact look. “I was sitting alone in a hotel I was staying at back home and it just happened.” He spoke as if it been nothing out of the ordinary but she figured that he was just putting up a front.

“That’s unfortunate...? Do you not know why you started crying?”, Whi tilted her head a little, offering what sympathy she could even if he probably didn’t need it. Lack however just furrowed his brows, eyes scanning the perimeter of the room as if there was someone he couldn’t see that awaited his answer.

“No, I don’t.”

She blinked, looking at him curiously. This hadn’t been what she’d ever expected to hear from someone like him. Crying? It seemed impossible for Lack. “Oh.” Was the only sound she could make as she studied him.

Something about her answer must’ve annoyed him because he leaned back, crossed his arms and sighed. “Nevermind. I don’t know why I bothered to tell you that. It doesn’t matter.” Somehow, even she could tell that what he said was a lie.

She could be wrong though, maybe he was just pretending to have some sort of vulnerability so she’d trust him easier. She wouldn’t put that past him. Oh, but if he had cried... what does she make of it? What in the world could make him cry?

Apparently even he didn’t know.

So, she did the best (or worst) thing she could think of and just put her hand on his shoulder, giving him the gentlest smile she could muster. “People cry all the time. You shouldn’t worry about it.” 

He just scoffed, “I wasn’t worried about it. It was just something foreign to me.” 

“Are you sure? Crying for the first time as an adult must be-“

“I have to go attend to something, good night, Whi.” With that, Lack got up and just left. Practically slamming the door behind him. Leaving Whi to just stare blankly at where he has previously been.

To her own dismay, she spent the rest of the night thinking about the encounter.


End file.
